Closure for fountain pens



Y. SANBONMATSU CLOSURE FOR FOUNTAIN PENS Aug. 16, 1949.

Filed March 13, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet l Yoshiro Sanbonmafsu Y. SANBONMATSU 2,479,414

CLOSURE FOR FOUNTAIN PENS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Aug. 16, 1949.

Filed March 13, 1947 Inventor Yoshiro Sanbonmafsu 3431331091 dun/434fldwflwfidwwfl fln4, 2 W K 1 n paw EMU mm. ow

Patented Aug. 16, 1949 uNiTEo PATENT oFFrce CLOSURE ron FOUNTAIN'PENS Yoshiro. rSanbonmatsu, Holtville, cam. Application-March 13, 1947, :Serial No..7s4',514

2 Claims (Cl. 120M233)- My invention relates toimprovements in :closnresior fountain pens, the primary object in view being-to eliminatein suchpens the usual pointcovering and enclosing cap, which must be removed and replaced, while at the same time providingfor protectivelyclosing the pen point end of the pen when not in use.

Another object is to provide a fountain pen whichgmaybe carried in the pocket in writing position. and which, when so carried is proof against leaking and damaging the clothes.

Still. another object is to provide for accomplishingthe above without increasing the cost of, manufacture of suchpens or rendering the same, complicated.

Other and subordinate objects, also comprehended by. my. invention, together with theprecise nature of my improvements, and the advantages thereon-will bereadily understood when the succeeding description and claims are read with reference tothe. drawings accompanying and forming part of this specification.

In said drawings:

Figure 1 is a view in perspective of a. fountain pen embodying my improvements in a preferred form thereof, andlooking at the top side of the pen;

Figure 2 is a similar view looking at the-bottomside'of'the pen;

Figure-3 is a view in longitudinal section drawn to a larger scale and showing the sheath in pen closing position;

Figure 4 is a similar view showing the sheath in pen opening position;

Figure 5 is a view in transverse section taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 3;

Figure 6 is a similar view taken on the line 6-6 of Figure 4;

Figure '7 is a view in perspective of the sheath removed and with the tongue detached therefrom;

Figure 8 is a view in detached.

Referring now to the drawings by numerals, my invention, as illustrated, has been shown embodied in a fountain pen in which the barrel l perspective of the tongue may be formed in the usual manner, with the exception presently noted, to contain the usual ink sac 2 adapted to be compressed for fillin by the usual deformable member 3 against which pressure may be exerted by the usual filler lever 4. The numeral 5 designates the usual rear end clip for fastening the pen in the pocket. An ink feeder plug 6 is threaded at the rear end thereof, as at I, into the front end of the barrel I with the usual reduced rear "end nipple 8 thereon =on"-whi'ch the ink sac. 2 "is fastened, said'plugyhaving-fan axial ink discharge duct 9' extending there through; The pen :point 1'0 and ink'feeder'ba'r Hi are socketed in the front endof the ink feeder plug 6 with an ink fe'e'de'r duct i2 in'said barconrmunicating .with the front end er the dis-- charge duct 9.

According to my invention, the barrel-1 lsprogvided' with a reduced frontend portion iii-slightly larger in diameter than theink feeder-plug 6 and which forms a circumferential shoulder H on the barrel l at a substantialdistance from the front end of, said portion 13;"

A "sheath 1 5 is fitted-on said front end portion [3 for endwise sliding thereon in surrounding relationto the ink feeder plug-Bjpen i0; and ink' feeder bar Hand which isfof a length to extend from said shoulder *l d-tothe tinoftl'iie ink feeder bar I I and is frictionally fitted onisaidportion I 3 for removal therefrom" atwill. The sheath I-5' hasa taperedfront end 16, a reduoed-rearend cuff I1", and a bottom longitudinal slot l8 therein extendingfrom the cuff IT to saidftontndfli and which flares laterally at said" front 'endiii as at I 9'; to permit the pen point =l-0 to protrude-out of "the'same a sufficient distance for writing purposes in a manner presently described; The sheath I5- embodies-a flexible bottom tongue -20 extending-forwardly from a collar 21 fittedonthe cuff l I frictionally for detachment therefrom, said tongue conforming in size and shape to the slot l8 and normally entering into and conformably fitting said slot I8 to close the same when the sheath I5 is shoved forwardly from a pen opening position into a pen closing position as will presently more clearly appear. A lug 22 on the inner face of the tongue 20 is provided for seating with a, snap action, under reaction of the tongue 22, into the bottom end of a diametrical bore 23 in the ink feeder plug 6 and whereby the forward pen closing position of the sheath I 5 is established. The lug 22 is slidable in a guide slot 24 extending along the bottom of the ink feeder plug 6 and to prevent the sheath l5 from turning on the barrel I, and said lug is adapted to snap into a rear end notch 25 in said guide slot 24 to maintain the sheath IS in a rearwardly slid pen opening position in which the cuff l1 abuts the shoulder l4 and establishes said pen opening position of said sheath.

A sliding valve plug 26 in the bore 23 with a. transverse duct 25' therein is urged by a coil spring 21, in said bore 23 downwardly to align the duct 26 with the ink discharge duct 9 to open said duct 9. The lug 22 is constructed and arranged so that when it snaps into the bottom end of the bore 23, said lug lifts said plug 26, in opposition to the coil spring 21, and thereby moves the duct 26 out of alignment with the ink discharge duct 9 to close said duct 9 in the pen closing position of the sheath [5. A cross pin 28 in the valve plug 26 playing in a recess 29 in the ink feeder plug 6 retains the valve plug 26 in the bore 23.

As will now be seen, when the sheath [5 is slid into the described pen closing position thereof, as shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3, the slot I8 is closed by the tongue 20 and the front end of the sheath [5 covers the pen point In and encloses the same together with the ink feeder bar II to close the pen, and the ink discharge duct 9 is also closed by the plug valve 26 so that the pen cannot leak. When the sheath I5 is slid into the described pen opening position, shown in Figure 4, the tongue 2|] is flexed rearwardly by the ink feeder bar II to open the slot I8 at the front end 16 of said sheath, so that the lips of the pen point l protrude from the front end It of said sheath 15 for use for writing purposes. In this position of the sheath IS, the ink discharge duct 9 is opened, in the manner already described. To fill the pen it is merely necessary to pull the sheath I offthe front end portion l3 of the barrel I after which the pen may be filled in the usual manner.

The foregoing will, it is believed, sufiice to impart a clear understanding of my invention, without further explanation.

Manifestly, modifications in the invention, as described, may be resorted to without departing from the inventive concept, and right is herein reserved to such modifications as fall within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a fountain pen including a barrel, a pen point, and an ink feeder plug having an ink discharge duct therein, a closure sheath for said penslidable forwardly and rearwardly on said barrel into pen-closing and pen-opening positions, respectively, and having a longitudinal slot therein through which the pen point is adapted to protrude in the pen-opening position of said sheath, said sheath including a resilient tongue normally reacting to close said slot in the penclosing position of said sheath, coacting camming devices on said plug and tongue, respectively, whereby when said sheath is slid into penopening position said tongue is flexed to open said slot, and a spring tensioned valve in said plug held closed by the camming device on said tongue in the pen-closing position of said sheath to close said duct, said valve being operative by said spring to open said duct under control of the camming device on said tongue when said sheath is slid from pen-closing position toward pen-opening position.

2. In a fountain pen including a barrel, a pen 7 point, and an ink feeder plug having an ink discharge duct therein, a closure sheath for said pen slidable forwardly and rearwardly on said barrel into pen-closing and pen-opening positions, respectively, and having a longitudinal slot therein through which the pen point is adapted to protrude in the pen-opening position of said sheath, said sheath including a resilient tongue normally reacting to close said slot in the penclosing position of said sheath, coacting camming devices .on said plug and tongue, respectively, whereby when said sheath is slid into penopening position said tongue is flexed to open said slot, and a spring tensioned valve in said plug held closed by the camming device on said tongue in the pen-closing position of said sheath to close said duct, said valve being operative by said spring to open said duct under control of the camming device on said tongue when said sheath is slid from pen-closing position toward pen-opening position, said valve comprising a Spring pressed valve member slidable in said plug and against which the camming device on the tongue presses in the pen closing position of said sheath.

YO-SHIRO SANBONMATSU.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 933,248 Grant Sept. 7, 1909 1,161,123 Gilbert Nov. 23, 1915 1,714,965 Ullner May 28, 1929 1,775,068 Debenedetti Sept. 2, 1930 1,785,680 Goldknapp Dec. 16, 1930 

